Brazil recently imposed a 7 percent blending mandate for combining biodiesel with petroleum diesel. The higher production would increase the use of soyoil by about 23.4 percent to 2.9 MMT from 2.35 MMT in CY 2014. European Rapeseed Production Forecasted to Decline in 2015 The European consulting firm Strategie Grains this week forecasted EU rapeseed production in 2015 at 21.6 MMT, a decline of 2.5 MMT (10.4 percent) from the record 2014 production of 24.1 MMT. This is based on a decrease in plantings from 6.7 million hectares in 2014 to 6.5 million hectares next year. The firm is also forecasting a decline in Europe's average yield from 3.6 MT/hectare in 2014 to 3.3 MT/hectare in 2015.The estimated drop in EU 2015 rapeseed production will...
What You Need to Know Today: The Trump administration announced new tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 major U.S. trading partners as part of a Section 301 action aimed at combating forced labor in global supply chains. Countries that have agreed to adopt and enforce bans...
Key Takeaways: Grain futures pulled back sharply in overnight trade Friday on rumors that Ukraine proposed two possible options for ensuring civilian vessel safety in the Black Sea. Both Russia and Ukraine have recently targeted civilian vessels carrying oil and grain in the Sea of Azov...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.